Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 08:56:26 PDT From: "Chris Teichreb" <cteichreb@hotmail.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1968$foo@default> Subject: Re: Soil mix + night time temperature + over feeding a VFT
David,
>
>1) I've read several different soil mix recommendations for Venus Flytraps,
>form 50% Peat Moss - 50% sand to 2/3 Peat Moss - 1/3 sand.
>
>Is the mix by weight or volume? Since Peat Moss is lighter than sand,
>maybe
>thats where the difference in mixtures arises.
It's by personal preference! For myself, I just measure out
both ingredients dry and by volume. Much easier than dragging out
the scale and measuring by weight ;-)! If it was by weight,
you'd be using a _lot_ of peat moss, especially if dry!
>
>Should the Peat be wetted and squeezed before mixing to force out air
>pcokets? Or does one just mix the sand+peat together, and plant the VFT
>and
>water it, while gently pressing the soil down?
Mix the peat moss and sand together, add water, mix again and then
put in your pot and plant up the VFT. Much much easier than trying
to wet it afterwards, trust me!
>
>
>
>2) During summer growth my sun room stays fairly warm at night, say 75
>degrees. During the day it might get up to 90, even with the AC (in
>another
>room). Will this night time temperature damage the plant?
Where are you located? The reason I ask is that you may be
able to grow it outside. Temps like that are ok during the summer,
as long as humidity is kept high.
>
>3) someone posted on rec.gardens that VFTs shouldnt be over fed (all traps
>simultaneously closed on insects) because they dont need the extra
>nutrients. Is this true? (I doubt it)
Completely false. All my vft's are outside, and every single
trap on every plant has caught an insect. They're doing quite
well too!
Happy growing,
Chris
-- Chris Teichrebhttp://www.geocities.com/cteichreb ("Coastal Carnivores", my homepage)
http://www.nurserysite.com/clubs/pnwcarnivorous (Pacific Northwest Carnivorous Plant Club)
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